When it comes to eating healthy, university students are well-known for skipping meals or leaning towards poor dietary choices.
Studies in Australia show that 2-minute noodles are a regular, cheap, and easy meal for students. By consuming 2-minute noodles frequently, you are robbing your body of vital nutrition which is important for your overall health and can keep you focused throughout your studies.
If you’ve ever thought that there’s got to be more to life than eating 2-minute noodles, well rejoice, because there definitely is!
To help you think ways to add or try something new, we’ve put together 5 simple tips to swap out unhealthy habits for healthier ones.
1. Kickstart your day with a killer breakfast.
Students are notorious for skipping breakfast or reaching straight for a strong coffee. Don’t sacrifice the most important meal of the day for your busy schedule. Breakfast boosts your metabolism and improves memory and concentration. Having breakfast in the morning is going to curb those cravings throughout the day and set you on the right path to making healthier choices. It doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming either, prep the night before! Try something simple like muesli, yoghurt, and fruit – layer as desired.
2. Replace soft drinks or juices with sparkling water.
Sugary soft drinks and concentrated juices add heaps of unwanted calories into your diet, some as many as up to 250 calories per serving, which can ultimately lead to unwanted weight gain. All those calories come from the highly concentrated amounts of sugar added into each beverage. Some drinks include up to 11 teaspoons of sugar in one serve. Yikes!
Try swapping these out for sparkling water instead. Less sugar, extra hydration, and that same great fizz. You can even add frozen berries or lemon wedges for an extra burst of flavour.
3. Go for vegetarian options once or twice a week.
Meat can take up a big chunk of your grocery bill each week – especially if you’re eating it every day. By incorporating more vegetarian meals into your diet, you’ll significantly lower your expenses and reduce your environmental footprint. Load up on protein-rich lentils and beans, and don’t forget your extra veggies for brain power!
4. Choose fruit instead of lollies for a 3pm pick-me-up.
We’ve all found ourselves wandering by the Lolly Shop for an afternoon sugar rush to get us through the rest of the day. Why not grab a piece of fruit instead? Natural sugars can boost your blood sugar for an afternoon pick-me-up, and your body will thank you for it! Not to mention, fruit packs a punch with vitamins and minerals which helps keep your immune system strong.
5. Take the stairs – incidental exercise is a busy person’s best friend.
This is one of the cheapest, most sustainable healthy habits you can form as a student. If you have the option to walk, go for it! Skip the lifts and take the stairs. Adding at least 10,000 steps to your day will keep your health in check and can reduce your risk of the following:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Depression
Leave a little earlier to class, take the scenic route and you’ll get those steps in, feel better while you’re at it, burn extra calories in the process and arrive on time. It’s a win, win!
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